


Chosen

by frozenCinders



Category: Warriors Orochi
Genre: 5+1 Things, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-18
Updated: 2018-11-18
Packaged: 2019-08-25 09:42:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,450
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16658780
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/frozenCinders/pseuds/frozenCinders
Summary: Loki tells (approximately) five lies and one very unexpected truth.





	Chosen

**Author's Note:**

> essentially added a little au at the end to account for postgame shenanigans and also to make the ending hurt less

"Of course I can do it," Loki happens to hear Zhong Hui scoff, "I've been chosen by the heavens, after all."

It's not the first time he's heard him say something like that. It makes him wonder, though, why no other humans seem to think they're special for working with gods. Honestly, they should be honored. Well, not that Loki has ever put much stock in the differences between gods and mortals, aside from the obvious. Not like Odin or Ares.

The most important of all the lessons he's learned about humans thus far must be how fun they are. Maybe it's because it's been so long since Loki has had any real company besides Odin, who is... merely difficult at the best of times, and impossible at any other, but he digresses. Humans have fun personalities, fun ideas, fun cultures, fun inventions... They interest Loki in general.

Since this one seems so convinced that he's earned the favor of the gods, why not prove just that to him? Maybe he'll get embarrassed and try to take back his silly claims upon realizing exactly who he's talking to.

"I suppose it's true," Loki chimes the moment Zhong Hui's previous conversation partner is out of earshot, "since I, as a god, have chosen you."

"Of course," Zhong Hui responds like it's obvious.

Loki blinks and smiles, waiting for him to come to a realization of any kind... but it never happens. Eventually, Zhong Hui turns to look at him, brow furrowed since Loki has just been standing silently next to him.

"What..?"

"Oh, nothing. Just admiring my chosen one," Loki jokes.

He looks at least a little flustered at that one, his subtle change of posture resembling a bird puffing its feathers out but his face telling a slightly different story.

* * *

"Why do _I_  have to be the one to wrangle these monsters..? I have much less degrading things to do!" Zhong Hui complains to himself.

As he's found himself doing often lately, Loki swoops in.

"Don't think of it like that, my chosen," he says the nickname slowly and borderline mockingly as always, "these beasts can be difficult to control and a lot of people get spooked by them. You're the only one I trust to handle this task."

It's all a lie; the horrors will imprint on just about anyone and happily follow that person's orders to their deaths. Not only that, but most of the humans seem surprisingly alright with them.

Zhong Hui, however, accepts the lie and yet again allows Loki to feed his ego.

"Hm. If I am simply the most competent option, I suppose I have no choice but to accept responsibility," he concedes, no doubt failing to see any meaning behind Loki's smile in response.

* * *

Loki thought at first that Zhong Hui's reactions to his teasing were a bit lackluster. The fact that he never seems to catch on that Loki is indeed teasing him didn't help, but now it only makes him even more endearing. Every time Loki purposely fluffs up Zhong Hui's ego, he watches him carefully and is able to see more and more in his face and his body language.

Somehow, through Zhong Hui just absolutely refusing to catch on, Loki has lied his way into bed with him. It becomes impossible for Zhong Hui to hide from Loki, who relishes in how readily this human makes himself vulnerable for him. Loki is gentle with him because it's his first time with a human and Zhong Hui isn't even one of the particularly physically strong mortals, but he seems to interpret it differently.

Loki lets him believe whatever he wants.

* * *

Although Loki knows he's at least safe inside his mind, he can't help feeling like Odin is able to thoroughly and accurately analyze every single thing he does. Because of this, he's not surprised at all when Odin brings up the topic of his maybe-or-maybe-not relationship.

"Do _you_  even know the truth at this point?" he asks with a typically cryptic smile. "I fail to see how this makes him any more useful than he already was."

"He's fun to play with. That's all," Loki answers without hesitation. He can't tell if it pings as a lie to Odin, because all he does is giggle and walk away.

"It's not as if I would allow this affair of ours to interfere with our goals, anyway," Loki says. Odin may not have heard him, but Loki convinces himself he only said it for him anyway.

* * *

Loki said that, but he didn't think the time where it'd be put to the test would come so soon. When he hears of Zhong Hui's defection, it oddly... hurts. It brings back memories of when he'd lost everything he cared about, and he starts panicking a little at the idea of it happening again.

He shoves those thoughts aside. Zhong Hui is still alive. He's just standing with different allies now. He'd been looking at Loki in a way that he now belatedly determines as rueful for quite a while now, so he doesn't feel quite so betrayed...

No, honestly, he feels as if they're still on the same side. The smile on his face is sad as hasty urges occur to him. That's been his goal all along, really, but he can't act yet. Doing anything too early will only result in him dying in vain.

Knowing Odin, it would be quite painful, too.

"It seems you've lost a toy."

Speak of the devil and he shall appear.

"And you as well," Loki answers teasingly and with ease. "It's a shame you never indulged while you had the chance. I would have shared."

Odin tilts his head at that and Loki has to fight to keep his expression from changing. Was that a lie? It only takes Loki a short moment of consideration to realize that he probably would have offered every excuse in the book to get Odin away from Zhong Hui if he'd ever actually shown interest in him.

* * *

With this Hundun running amok, the humans need as much help as they can get. That includes Loki and the defeated Odin, apparently. Things are majorly tense between them. In fact, it's to the point where Loki is terrified to be alone in case Odin decides to confront him about his betrayal. He wishes all he feared was a scathing tongue-lashing from the only father figure he's ever really had, but he's certain it would end with blood.

It's silly that he would feel safe when his only company is a single human, but he can't bring himself to fret over an encounter with Odin when he has Zhong Hui in his arms. He never apologized for defecting without a word to Loki, not even when Loki brought it up expecting one, but he laughed it off without a problem.

"Of course I defected," he'd stated as-a-matter-of-factly. "I belong with Wei, not... whatever mess that Asgardian situation was."

Even now, Loki chuckles as he remembers Zhong Hui's tone of voice. He really has no fear, does he?

"What are you laughing at? I haven't even said anything."

"I'm just happy to be with you again. That was impossible for a brief time, after all," he answers honestly enough. Zhong Hui gives him this look, though, and Loki suspects he might not believe him, for the first time.

He's proven wrong when Zhong Hui starts speaking.

"This... is a little embarrassing to say," he starts, and it doesn't seem like the utter mirth creeping across Loki's expression helps to steel his nerves. "For the first time in my life, I think... I actually feel... oh, what is it..."

"Hmm? Could it be love?" Loki offers as a tease, but he knows there must be more to it than that.

"Well, essentially, but it's more than that."

That was an unexpectedly nonchalant confession, but Loki supposes they have technically been an almost-sort-of item for a while now.

"You make me feel... safe. And happy. I've never felt like this with anyone else before," he admits, and there's a stunning shade of red on his face to accompany his words. "I was... devastated inside, when I had to leave you. I thought that even if you survived, you would never forgive me or attempt to understand why I did it. I see now that it's foolish to expect from a god the same things I would expect from a human."

That's a lot to take in. Loki, in a rare turn of events, is genuinely touched.

"It would be my honor to keep you safe and happy, my chosen."

For once, his words are genuine, too.


End file.
